Megillah 3:6 - 4:1

במעמדות במעשה בראשית – Since for the sacrifices, heaven and earth were established, and the order of their readings is explained in the last chapter (4) of Tractate Taanit.

ברכות וקללות – “If you will follow My laws…’ (Leviticus 26:3 and following) to inform that retribution comes to the world for being engaged in sin (see specifically, Leviticus 26:14-46, “the Rebuke”) so that they will return [to God] in repentance and will be saved from their troubles.

כסדרן – according to the portion of the day

ואין עולין להם מן החשבון – so that when Shabbat arrives, they will return and read what they read on [the previous] Monday and Thursday [mornings] and on Shabbat at Minha/Afternoon Service.

שנאמר וידבר משה – this refers to the entire Mishnah, to teach from here that it is Mitzvah on each festival to read from the [subject] matter of the festival.

הקורא את המגילה עומד ויושב – if he wants, he stands; if he wants, he sits.

קראוה שנים – together

יצאו – and we don’t that two voices are not heard as one, for since it (i.e., the Megillah reading) is beloved to them, they pay attention.

מקום שנהגו לברך אחריה יברך – but before [the Reading of the Megillah] it is required to recite in every place three blessings: “on the reading of the Megillah,” “who has performed miracles,” and “who has kept us alive,” whether at night or during the day, for the reading of the day is the essence, as it is written (Esther 9:28): “Consequently, these days are recalled and observed…” There is, according to the one who says that since he recited the blessing ”who has kept us alive” at night, he should not recite “who has kept us alive” in the daytime, and this makes sense.

ואין מוסיפין עליהן – that they would not make it difficult for the congregation because they are working days and on Shabbat at Minhah is also close to darkness, since the entire day [of Shabbat] they were accustomed to preach/expound [on the Torah], and for that reason also, we don’t recite a Haftarah.

הפותח והחותם בתורה מברך לפניה ולאחריה – The person who begins to read in the Torah first recites the blessing before [the reading] and the last person who closes the blessing through which he completes [the reading] recites the blessing after it, and all the others who read the Torah do not recite a blessing either before or after. But nowadays, the entire [Jewish] world practiced that everyone recites a blessing before it (i.e., the reading of the Torah) and after it, as a decree lest those who enter [the synagogue late] and did not hear the first person who recited the blessing before it and would say that there is no blessing of the Torah before [the reading], and because of those who leave [the synagogue early] and who did not hear [the last person] who closes the blessing who recites a blessing after it, and the first ones [that he heard] did not say a blessing and they would say that there is not blessing of the Torah after [the reading].